


Goodwill Towards Men

by justbygrace



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-04 10:26:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3064367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbygrace/pseuds/justbygrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Christmas AU I totally meant to write this season.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> With all the love to Disc whose ramblings inspired the original idea and to lotsofthinkythoughts for her invaluable input, ideas, and title - let's be honest, this story wouldn't be a thing without her.  
> Beta'd by the continually fantastic sorrywhatever.  
> Reviews & comments make my world go round.

Theta growled as the circuit he was attempting to fix misfired, shocking him in the process. He cursed under his breath, old oaths that had the Elves around him shrinking away.

"Sorry," he muttered, avoiding eye contact with them.

They all said it was quite alright but it wasn't and he knew it. With a heavy sigh he went back to fixing the circuit and let his mind wander back to happier times.

Once upon a time this workshop had been a happy place, ringing with the shouts of Time Lords and Elfinkind alike. There had been some working on toy production, some on granting wishes, others on answering prayers, still others on preparing food baskets or the money press. It was a joyful place with jokes flying about and snatches of songs echoing from the rafters.

Gallifreyan Time Lords were the caretakers of the universe, a clan per planet assisting with the needs as its inhabitants required. The ones that resided on Gallifrey were there to provide back-up to the scattered families. The Santas were the youngest clan on Gallifrey and when the call came from Earth that said that its resident caretakers were retiring, well they fairly jumped at the chance to take over. Most Time Lords preferred the stateliness of the cat nuns or the quiet joy of the Ood, very few enjoyed the rambunctious nature of humans. The Santas did. They had always loved the over-reactions, the silliness, the sheer humanity of humans and Theta, as the youngest, loved them most of all.

A few years after the Santas arrived on Earth, the Elfinkind showed up. They were a sweet and gentle species who thrived on love and kindness. They’d been forced to share their home planet with a race given to war, and the anger was causing the Elfinkind to die off. They had been drawn to Earth by the outpouring of kindness that the Santas were showing to the humans and they quickly found a place as valued and hardworking members of the Santa's Workshops.

However, the Santas, with all their love for humans had one hard and fast rule. There would be no intermarrying or falling in love with them. It was their strictest rule and it was enforced most harshly. And then two hundred years ago interplanetary travel became nearly impossible when the Time Lord clan in charge of watching the spaceways became embroiled in a bitter war. As a result there was no way to bring anyone new in to carry on the Santa line and their line began to die.

Theta buried the last of his family members seven years ago. His bitterness towards Time Lords and humans alike festered deep within him, but the war was still going on and he was unable to leave Earth and, even if he could, he had nowhere to go. He had come to Earth as a young Time Lord and this was all he really knew.

He still had a duty and a mission and he stuck to it, continuing to grant wishes and prayers and to deliver Christmas presents. Due to the lessening of ability of the Santas to answer them, the wishes and prayers had grown less as the years had gone by and there were only a few children who still believed enough to receive Christmas presents. It only served to add to the weight of guilt that Theta carried.

All of this had an adverse affect on Elfinkind and they were starting to grow frail, showing signs of aging that they never had before. They too were unable to leave Earth because of the war. Theta allowed them to do most of the work when he could because it was the only thing that was keeping them alive. It was a dire situation and he knew it, but he could think of no way to remedy it.

"Sonny," a feeble voice interrupted Theta's thoughts and he startled.

There was only one who dared to refer to him with any sort of affection and he turned towards the speaker with the closest approximation of a smile that he could manage. It was an old Elf, the oldest of them and their leader. His name was Wilf and he had led the original party to Earth all those hundreds of years ago.

"Could you make a stop off in London today?" Wilf asked, pointing a tremulous hand to the finished stack of wishes. "I don't think any of us are going to be able to make a trip today."

Theta glanced around the circle of Elfinkind with a growing concern. There was a paleness to their features and a thinness of their skin that caused a tightening in his chest. He didn't know what he would do if they died.

"Right," he said shortly, scooping up the pile of wishes and wrenching open the door to the TARDIS.

"Come back safely," Wilf called to him as Theta stepped inside.

Theta managed a wave before closing the door a bit more harshly than he intended. The dematerialization process was simple and, as always, Theta gave the lever that used to be able to take them off planet a longing glance. A moment later he turned away, flicking the knobs and buttons with practiced ease, there was no use pining over what he couldn't have.

He landed in a dirty alley, one where everything was so unusual no one would bother with anything new, and began the process of distributing wishes. It was something he had done a thousand, a million times before, one of the easiest jobs and the first one he had been taught to do, and he barely gave it any concentration. It was the work of a second to flip the knob to the appropriate location, open the box, drop in the answered wish, and spin the knob again.

As he worked, he absently watched the monitor. It gave him a clear view of the street at the end of the alley and the bustling of people was as soothing as it was irritating. He was still a Santa and he still grudgingly loved them, but how dare they go about their business with so little care for the suffering of others. They were so wrapped up in their own problems, their own little tragedies, they gave no thought to anyone else. Even the wishes he was granting were all about themselves -- "I wish I had money to pay off this loan" "I wish I had a toaster" "I wish I had the keys to a new car" -- nothing earth-shatteringly important and absolutely no wishes for anyone else.

His attention was suddenly arrested by a little old lady who had stepped into traffic, her long white cane making it apparent that she was unaware of just how much danger she was in. He was frozen with fear, knowing he would be unable to get there in time to prevent the tragedy and then before he could decide what to do, a figure was beside her, guiding her back to safety and the sidewalk. His breath came in short pants as he tried to comprehend what he had just seen and he stared at the savior with rapt interest.

From here he could just make out a head of blonde hair, her coat's hood having fallen to allow her hair to blow freely. She had a kind face and she had her arm around the lady's shoulder, speaking quietly to her. He watched as she comforted the lady and then helped her across the street, disappearing into the department store across the way.

Theta finished the rest of the wishes with dispatch and then walked towards the door, hardly knowing what he was doing. He wanted to see this girl again, this woman, he wanted to see her and talk to her, to reassure himself that she existed and that it hadn't been his imagination. It had been so long since he had seen anything like human kindness. Oh, he'd heard rumors, Wilf had firmly told him on many occasions that their was still humanity in humans, but he hadn't really believed it.

Even as he turned the handle and stepped onto the snowy alley, he tried to pretend he wasn't. The desire to see a human, not just humans, but a single human was supposed to be something that Time Lords didn't want. They helped humans yes, helped them and granted their wishes and answered their prayers and gave them gifts, but they most emphatically did not go looking for one human out of the desire to see them again.

All the argument in the world couldn't keep his feet still and he walked out of the alley, across the street, and up the grand staircase to the department store without so much as a by your leave. It was crowded inside the door, packed with shoppers and bustling with noise and color and excitement. There was garlands everywhere, wrapped with lights and tinsel and music playing loudly, discordant and tinny, and he winced. This was how humans celebrated Christmas now that none of them believed in Santa.

Theta wandered aimlessly, not at all sure how to find her. His standard issue leather jacket and brooding face meant that most everyone gave him a wide berth and for that he was thankful. He spotted her in the clothing section, refolding a stack of sweaters and staring into space with a wistful expression. He wanted to talk to her, but it had been years since he had spoken to a human and he wasn't sure if he remembered how. Instead he ducked behind a pillar and watched her.

She was younger than he had thought, nineteen maybe twenty, but with a touch that suggested life had not been kind. There was a tiredness in her eyes, a longing for something else to which he could relate. However at the sight of a customer, her face would come alive with a smile and she could engage them in conversation. Even the fiercest of people melted under her light, sharing what they needed and allowing her to help them. With each new encounter he observed he wanted to speak to her more, but he couldn't bring himself to break his self-imposed exile.

Though he couldn't speak to her, he couldn't leave either and he spent the rest of the afternoon casually following her around. Occasionally he would browse nearby, other times he simply stayed behind a shelving unit and watched her. He knew that he was being very creepy and that he was lucky no one had asked him what he was doing, but every time he thought he had gained enough courage to step out and speak to her, it deserted him and he was left cowering behind a rack of clothing.

It was apparent she knew someone was there, her blonde hair whipped her shoulders as she turned to look behind her, eyes scanning the crowd and eyes narrowed. He wondered what it was that she sensed, was she one of those rare humans that knew when aliens were around? It wasn't until an hour into the afternoon that he had an epiphany. He had seen her before.

It had been years back now, seven years if his math was correct, and it had been one of his first wishes after he had buried his grandfather. The wisher had been a mother struggling to make ends meet and he had answered the wish because it hadn't been for her, it had been for her daughter. He had been angry and heart-broken, but he couldn't deny a request for another and he had arrived with a child's red bicycle on Christmas Eve. He remembered it clearly, the hard neighborhood, the smell, the sound, and he had bitterly wondered why the mother hadn't asked for food or a better living condition.

Breaking protocol he had peeked in the windows to see the mother and daughter curled up together drinking tea and watching Christmas programs and it was a scene of love like he hadn't thought the world capable of and he had understood. This wasn't a mother who was scrimping on her daughter, she was doing everything she could to give her child a safe and loving environment. Food, shelter, clothing - all of that this mother could provide on her own. The bicycle was an extra, an above and beyond that the daughter had requested and the mother couldn't grant on her own. With a swelling of his heart, he had left the bicycle where it was and tiptoed away, wishing his own wishes for the small family.

The afternoon eventually came to an end and the announcement that the story was closing in twenty minutes surprised him. He certainly hadn't intended to spend quite that much time watching her. As he headed for the exit, he glanced back over his shoulder intending to take one last glance and then leave, but was stopped by the sight of her. She was staring right at him with slightly narrowed eyes and when she caught his eye, she pointed at him and then outside in a gesture that clearly indicated that he was to wait for her.

Theta nodded slightly, turning back for the door with no intention of doing anything other than what she was asking of him. As he settled on a cold bench it vaguely occurred to him that he was doing everything that the Santas would have frowned on and there was the general guilt that came along with that thought. But right on its heels was the knowledge that frankly, he didn't much care.


	2. Chapter 2

Theta shifted uncomfortably on the bench as he awaited the appearance of the blonde woman. His thoughts wandered to what Wilf and the other Elfinkind were thinking about what was taking so long, but he knew that none of them would object to his actions -- it was the Santas who would have.

Before he could proceed down that line of thought, a shadow fell over him and he looked up to see _her_ standing there looking down at him thoughtfully.

"Why have you been watching me all afternoon?" she asked, her hands going to her hips.

He gulped, shame at being caught quickly intermingling with irritation. "What's to say I can't?"

"It's creepy," she rejoined. "I've never had a stalker before, unless you count that time when I was seven and Hank bought me ice creams every day for an entire summer, but this is very stalker-ish behavior and I don't like it."

"I'm not stalking you," he sighed.

"Ducking behind clothes racks and pillars?" she raised an eyebrow. "The only people who do that are stalkers or secret agents."

"I'm not a secret agent," he snorted.

She threw up her hands and sat down next to him. "You could be. It's not like a secret agent is going to admit they are one."

"Well-reasoned," he said, impressed. "I'm not a secret agent."

She rolled her eyes. "So if you're not a stalker and you're not a secret agent, what are you?"

He stared at her, nonplussed by her question. "I'm Theta."

"Rose Tyler," she replied. "But what I meant was, what are you doing following me around all afternoon?"

"I saw you earlier," he said, deciding to go for as much of the truth as he could manage. "You helped that lady across the street. I wanted to say that was a nice thing to do."

"Well why didn't you?" Rose asked, shaking her head slightly.

He shrugged. "You looked busy."

"I looked busy and so you decided to just stalk me instead?" She shook her head again. "That's the strangest story I've ever heard and I almost believe you."

Theta looked away, watching the traffic as it sprayed sludge into the gutters. From here he could just make out the shadow of the TARDIS and he had the sudden urge to grab Rose's hand and run to its shelter. He shuddered, wondering where that thought had come from; he really had been on his own for too long.

"I've got to go," he muttered, pushing himself to his feet. Humans were not what he needed.

She looked up at him in alarm. "Who are you really?"

"I'm no one of importance," he said with a tired sigh.

"If you won't tell me I'll-I'll go to the police. Whatever you're up to, I bet you wouldn't like that, would you?" She looked half-triumphant, half terrified.

"You think you sound so tough." He felt his lips curl upwards in a way they hadn't in years.

"Sort of, yeah."

"Doesn't work." Theta pushed himself to his feet and stepped forward, not at all surprised when Rose stood up with him.

"Who are you?" she asked, moving with him as he walked to the edge of the sidewalk and looked both ways.

"Told you, I'm Theta."

"Yeah, but Theta what? What does Theta even mean?" she wanted to know. "Just Theta?"

"Hello," he waved at her absently as he watched a truck slow at the light.

Rose let out an unamused chuckle. "Tell me who are you? If you're not a secret agent and you aren't a stalker," here she side-eyed him. "Then who are you?"

"I'm a long way from home," he replied. "Just passing through and now I must be off."

"So you were just here to what? Watch me?" she asked.

He snorted. "How very like a human, thinking the whole world revolves around them. I was here for my purposes, making sure that goodwill continues and keeps the world ticking. You just happened to catch my attention."

"So the whole world revolves because of you?"

"Sort of, yeah."

"You're full of it, you know."

"Sort of, yeah," he teased, hardly believing he was doing so.

"So you just keep the goodwill going, what, on your own?" She sounded almost sad, like his lot in life bothered her.

"Well, yeah, who else is there? You lot, all you do is go about your business and eat and drink and all the time, others are trying to make sure the goodwill never stops." He sighed, wondering if the traffic here ever let up.

"Alright," she said softly, "Tell me more."

"There isn't much else to say."

"Well, if we're going to go with peace and goodwill to all men, and I don't even know about that, what's your role in all of that? Who are you?"

He stopped scanning the street and looked down at her. She was gazing up at him with a determined expression, unwilling to give up and resolute on getting a response. So he decided to give her one.

Picking up her hand, he held it tightly with his own. "You know when you're little and you believe in Santa because every year your stockings are filled and there are extra treats at the table? And sometimes there are less and sometimes more, but each year gets less and less an eventually you know you won't be getting something this year?" He waited for her breathless nod before continuing, "And then one year you open the door and there is the bike you didn't ask for because you knew your mum couldn't afford it. That's who I am. Now forget me, Rose Tyler."

With one last look at her face, he stepped into the street, darted between the cars, and disappeared down the alley. From the monitor he could still see her, standing where he left her, and with his eyes still on her, he started the dematerialization.

~~~~

Theta worked hard that night. When he had arrived back it was to the shocking sight of the elves in high spirits, a bit of color back in their cheeks. He had said nothing, and apart from a sharp glance or two from Wilf, the elves made no reference to their heightened strength. It was a thought he refused to dwell on and he went to work with a will, determined to put everything from his mind.

There was a lot to be done and Theta was glad for it. Last minute production was just the thing for ridding his brain of unwanted thoughts, though the image of whiskey brown eyes or golden hair occasionally superimposed themselves over his work. It was nearly dawn when Wilf clapped his hands briskly.

"Rest time, folks! There's food up at the house and I recommend you all stop by."

Theta barely acknowledged the dropping of tools and rush of movement as the elves abandoned their work stations. He would need his strength for the trip that night, but he wasn't eager to surrender business for idle thoughts and the results of that.

"Son, you need to stop too," Wilf's voice sounded at his elbow and he jumped.

"Can't," Theta said. "Too much to do."

"Don't know as you've noticed, but we're almost done," Wilf said dryly. "I wouldn't have called a break if I didn't think we would make the deadline without it, been doing this a long time, I have."

"I know," Theta acknowledged the old elf's words.

"Then what's got you so intent you're nigh on breaking that doll's legs just by staring at them?" Wilf asked, perching himself on a stool and staring at the Time Lord.

Theta sighed, setting the doll down on the bench, and staring at his hands. "I'm not really in the Christmas spirit."

Wilf snorted. "You haven't been in the Christmas spirit for years, son, but there's still a job to be done. Besides, seemed to me you had a bit of Christmas spirit while you were away."

"Not like that," Theta said, rolling his eyes as he caught sight of the twinkle in Wilf's eye. "I just had a chat with a human is all. Nothing of importance."

"I'd beg to differ or didn't you notice that we were all doing better when you got back?"

Theta shifted on his stool. "Probably nothing."

"Nothing? Sonny, this isn't nothing!" Wilf grabbed a set of child's antlers off the table and jammed them on his head before hopping off the stool and executing a little jig. "I haven't been able to do that for years. Don't you go writing that off."

"It was a simple conversation," Theta protested. "I can't believe it would have caused all this."

"You'd better believe it," Wilf said, plopping back on the stool. "And you'd better rid your head of all those silly notions like you aren't going to ever see her again."

He started up, spluttering, but Wilf shook his head. "I may be old, but I'm not senile yet. I know who your intended was back in the day so I know it wouldn't be a him," the elf reminded him. "Of course it's a her."

Theta subsided, studying the grain on the workbench. "It isn't right."

"What part?" Wilf asked sharply. "The part where Elfinkind is starting to feel better or the part where your silly rules are preventing you from unleashing happiness on the world again?"

"I may be the last Santa, but I'm still a Time Lord," Theta argued. "I have an obligation."

"Listen sonny," Wilf said, sitting up straight and leveling him with a look. "I loved your family. They took my people in when we had nowhere else to go, but they had some awfully strange ideas. You can't even argue with that. And the strangest of them all was no fraternizing with humans. Humans are loving, they are a lot of other things, but they are loving beings who are made to love. If that doesn't seem like the best sort of thing to intermingle with, well, I don't know what to tell you.

"I knew your great-grandfather and he was a great man, a great Time Lord. And he had a bit of an argument with that rule, you know. Went off and _fraternized_ with humans, he did. You wouldn't be around if he hadn't and it made his line live longer, infused them with the pure passion and love of a human and there is nothing stronger."

"They practically banished him," Theta argued.

"Oh for like three years," Wilf shrugged as if a three year banishment from family was nothing at all. "And then they let him back in and welcomed your great-grandmother and raised your grandmother with pride. You can't tell me they didn't love your grandmother."

Theta couldn't argue with that, his grandmother had been the pride and joy of the Santa family.

"And don't forget that their adherence to that rule caused their near extinction," Wilf pointed out. "All I'm saying is that rules are made to be broken and there are other ways to honor the dead than upholding their silly rules. There was talk of exceptions in the last years, you know that yourself."

Theta couldn't argue with that either and he watched in silence as Wilf climbed down from the stool, a bit more of the constant weariness of the last seven years in his movement.

"Just think about it sonny," Wilf said, patting him on the shoulder. "And do try to eat something at least. You've got a lot to do tonight."

Theta nodded. "I'll be in then."

Once Wilf disappeared out of the workshop door, Theta dropped his head in his hands. He knew there was truth in Wilf's words, but he wasn't sure if he could face them. He had spent years trying to be the dutiful son, worthy to be a Santa, and he had spent the last seven upholding all of the Santa and Time Lords laws and rules and regulations that he could remember. Perhaps Wilf was right and things would have been different if Time Lords were less stuck in their ways, but speculation wasn't going to do him a lot of good.

With a fresh burst of energy, Theta surged to his feet. There was still work on the TARDIS that needed to be done and then he could catch a quick nap and eat some food. It was Christmas Eve and he had a full night ahead of him; he could worry about all of this later.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the day proceeded almost precisely how Theta planned it to go. He spent a few hours tinkering on the TARDIS while he waited for the Elfinkind to be done with their meal and rest and when they returned, he absconded to his quarters -- the giant mansion on the hill that used to house a hundred Santas and now held only him.

It was gorgeous with brocade curtains, hardwood floors, and ornate furnishings, but his footsteps echoed as he walked and there was a fine layer of dust on everything. It too had once echoed with a dozen voices raised in song or argument, passionate about their viewpoints, their decisions, their life. Theta moved through the house with a heavy heart, refusing to look at the portraits on the wall, as he went to the kitchen for a quick snack. The Elfinkind always made certain that his cupboards were stocked for the rare occasions when he gave in to his hunger.

After he had eaten his fill he retired to his bedroom. Time Lords did not sleep often, needing only a full eight hours every few weeks, but Theta hadn't been in this room for months. He preferred to take a quick nap in the back of the TARDIS instead of facing the house and its combined memories, but this was the biggest night of the year and he needed a full rest.

His sleep was restless, fraught with worry and he woke up after a mere three hours clawing at the blankets in his haste to get away from them. He had dreamed of the condemning eyes of his forebears as they dragged Rose kicking and screaming away from him, pronouncing that they were going to try her for treason at the High Court on Gallifrey while Wilf stood nearby and resolutely proclaimed that it would all come out in the wash.

With sleep no longer an option, Theta headed to the en suite determined to wash off the day, but even that had its downfalls as the vision of brown eyes flashed before him, bringing about desires he hadn't had in years. He let his head fall back on the shower wall as he brought himself to climax, unable to understand how Rose had managed to affect him so much after only one afternoon and a short conversation.

He toweled off and dressed in his black leather jacket, jeans, and work boots (the red suit was brought about by his infamous great-grandfather's outfit of choice), feeling much better as he surveyed his reflection. This was the face he was used to looking back at him; everything else was a fluke and would pass quickly, he was sure of it.

Wilf raised his eyebrow at Theta's short absence, but made no comment, instead making room next to him in the loading line. Theta worked in silence, his concern spiking when he realized that the Elfinkind were once more showing extreme signs of weariness. His mind wandered to Wilf's words once more, wondering if there was some truth to the assertion that his interactions with Rose had caused the change.

Theta wanted to question Wilf, but there was no time as they were surrounded by others right up until the stroke of six when it was time for Theta to depart for his yearly journey. The Elfinkind all crowded around, eager to give Theta their well wishes and blessings for a safe and prosperous journey.

"Don't forget to think on what I said," Wilf said when it was his turn. "I think you'll find what you're searching for if you let yourself."

Theta turned to ask him for further clarification, but the TARDIS' rotor gave a mighty wheeze and the doors swung shut. The night was underway.

The first few hours were fairly uneventful, just the typical unloading of gifts for the children and the occasional granting of wishes or prayers. Theta completed the tasks without much thought, using muscle memory to drop off the gifts and move to the next location, his thoughts far away. It wasn't until about halfway through the night that things started to go wrong.

The TARDIS was powered primarily with kindness and goodness. It was an old-fashioned design and one that had worked fairly well as long as the Santas were all alive. In the past years Theta had started to have some issues, but he had always been able to find a pocket of folks here or there who still believed or were truly good at heart that gave the TARDIS enough power to get him where he needed to go.

However it had been a rough year everywhere, with crime and hate up all around the world and not enough acts of kindness to cancel it out. People were being killed on the street, children were slaughtered in the name of a revolution, women were kidnapped and held for ransom, there was rape and murder and anger and violence. Theta had heard of all of this of course, had answered a few prayers from those involved, but he hadn't realized that it would affect his Christmas mission.

The further he traveled the more the TARDIS seemed to stutter, struggling to make the jumps she needed to make and taking longer and longer to complete the wish-granting. A few times he had to go back and recalibrate when a gift or prayer was sent to the wrong location. The more things grew out of hand, the more irritated Theta grew. This in turn affected the TARDIS' performance until she finally shuddered a few times and dropped. Theta had only a few valuable seconds to throw on the emergency power supply to prevent a crash landing before the TARDIS hit the ground, rocketed down the alley, and slammed into a wall.

Letting out a string of curses, he tried to reboot her manually but was unable to do so. It quickly became apparent that the TARDIS was not interested in running on anything other than love and kindness. Theta groaned, dropping onto the jumpseat and glaring at the console. Of all the things he thought could go wrong this evening, this was not one of them. His mind went back to the Elfinkind and a bolt of fear went through him at the thought of what this was doing to them.

It was this thought that sent him into action and he jumped upwards, dashing for the door and out into the night, determined to find help. Once outside he stumbled to a halt. He was in a courtyard, partly sheltered from the falling snow by a small archway. All around him were familiar looking concrete buildings, snatches of music and voices filling the air from the packed together flats.

He smiled tightly, of course the TARDIS would deposit him here. Zipping his jacket up, Theta started off towards the nearby staircase doing his best not to add to the general atmosphere with irritable thoughts at his trusty ship. She'd always had a sense of humor, his TARDIS had, it's one of the reasons why he liked her so much and had chosen her from the junk heap. Other Santa's TARDIS’ were staid and stately, but not his. His had a sense of humor and liked adventure as much as he once had. She also had a gentle streak that made her perfect for their missions.

Theta walked along the narrow balcony until he found the door he was looking for -- the same white plastic wreath hung on the door as had been there so many years before and it bolstered his spirits. He knocked on the door and waited, trying to work out just what he was going to say.

The door was flung open by a young man with a swarthy complexion and holding a beer can.

"Can I help you mate?" he asked, staring at Theta like he'd seen a ghost.

Theta narrowed his eyes, he didn't recognize this one at all.

When he made no reply the boy rolled his eyes and yelled over his shoulder, "Jackie I think it's one of yours."

Instead of the mysterious Jackie, it was Rose that emerged from the depths of the house, her face going from confused to happy back to confused.

"No it isn't, Mickey," she said shouldering him to the side. "This one's mine."

"Yours?" Mickey turned back to Theta and peered at him suspiciously. "He looks a bit old."

"Oi!" Rose and Theta exclaimed at the same time, just as a new voice joined the fray.

"Well either come in or stay out, don't leave the door hanging open like that -- you'll let out all the heat." A woman stuck her head around the corner and then emerged completely, her expression getting sultry at the sight of Theta. "Please do come inside."

"Mum!" Rose exclaimed. "Come on you." Grabbing Theta's jacket she stepped out of the door and closed it behind her.

Theta was so surprised by everything he had just witnessed he had nearly forgotten his predicament and even now could think of no way to explain it. When his silence stretched on, Rose rolled her eyes.

"Did you just come to stand here and freeze or did you have something else to say. Like who you really are," she added.

"I need some love," he blurted and then felt the tips of his ears go red.

Rose raised her eyebrows and then folded her arms. "I'm going to need a bit more than an afternoon of stalking and then randomly showing up at my door to support that sort of proposition."

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "I don't mean like that. I mean like love and kindness and goodwill to all men. I wasn't kidding yesterday, I really do deliver gifts and grant wishes."

She continued to stare at him, eyes narrowed and he watched her begin to understand. "So you're what, like a genie? Or, or, wait! It's Christmas so you must be Santa?"

"I'm not actually Santa -- that's a family name. I'm really Theta," he tried to explain. "But yes, for your purposes, I'm Santa."

"Huh." Rose put her hands on her hips and looked down across the courtyard. "So why are you here? Wait. I've seen that blue box before. Yesterday. You got into it and disappeared."

"Yes, it's a TARDIS -- that's Time and Relative Dimension in Space," he told her proudly. "But I'm here because she isn't working right, there isn't enough love and human kindness in the world."

"You can say that again," Rose said. "So what do we need to do? Is this like 'Elf' where you need everyone to believe or sing or something?"

"Sort of," he hedged. Even as he said it he heard a telltale wheeze and looked down to see the TARDIS light up momentarily.

"You do, don't you," she guessed. "You need everyone to believe you're real."

"Not me, but just in general. I need them to love each other and speak kindly."

"I think you've come to the wrong neighborhood, mate," Rose said with a chuckle. "But let me see what I can do."

There was another longer wheeze from the TARDIS and Theta eyed his ship. She was trying to tell him something but he wasn't sure what.

"Do you need singing? I could probably get some carolers or something. I bet Mickey and Mum would join and Shareen would if she had enough to drink," Rose ticked them off on her fingers as she spoke.

"Wait," Theta reached out to grab her hand without thinking. "I have a different idea. Come on."

He took off running across the balcony, down the stairs, and across the courtyard, dragging Rose along beside him. A thought had occurred to him and he had to test it.

"Just, here." Theta skidded to a halt beside the TARDIS and raised his hand still holding hers up to wooden side of his ship. "Just touch her."

Rose gave him a sideways glance but did what he asked, pressing her hand flat against the ship. Instantly there was a more pronounced wheeze and they grinned at each other.

"I think she likes me!" Rose whispered, pressing her hand harder against the wall.

"Yeah," Theta agreed softly, his ship's outpouring of love flooding through his mind. It had been years since the ship had the energy to communicate and it was sweet joy to feel her again. "Do you want to come with me? Deliver gifts and wishes?"

Rose glanced between him and the ship. "Go with you? All over the world?"

"Yes. I don't think I - we can do this without you. The TARDIS needs you, you are full of love and kindness and she needs you to travel," he explained.

"I don't know," she hesitated glancing back over her shoulder at her flat. "Wait, what was that?" She jerked back her hand and pressed it to her temple.

"I think, I think she was trying to speak to you. To ask you to come along herself."

"She can do that? Get inside my mind?" Rose asked, glancing at the ship with a new respect tinged with fear.

"If you want -- she usually doesn't do it without permission. She must really want you to come along." He patted his ship affectionately.

"I suppose I could," Rose said slowly. "I mean my mum and Mickey are just going to get pissed and pass out and I'm not in the mood this year."

"Only if you want," Theta reiterated, reaching out to pull open the door.

"Okay, let's do it," she said with a smile.

"Oh, word of warning, she's a bit bigger on the inside. That sometimes takes people off guard when they first see her," Theta warned.

"Are you actually going to let me in or are you just going to tell me about her?" Rose teased, moving his arm gently and stepping past her. "Ooooh, she's beautiful."

 _Yeah,_ Theta thought to himself as he followed Rose through the door, _she certainly was._


	4. Chapter 4

As the TARDIS smoothly dematerialized from the Powell Estate, Theta grinned at Rose. There was an excitement in her eyes that he never could have imagined seeing in a human and it was intoxicating.

"Where to first?" she asked, turning towards him.

He grinned at her, letting Rose's pure joy and the TARDIS' energy flow through him. It didn't take her long to pick up how to deliver wishes and she was soon handling that part of the operation while he directed the gifts. She asked dozens of questions wanting to understand the magic behind it and only rolling her eyes a little when he explained that magic was basically science and vice versa.

Usually he didn't stick around long enough to see the result of his efforts, but Rose was having none of that. She wanted to watch the couple see that little glowing plus sign, the small child clutch her new puppy, the teenager hold the acceptance letter to his university of choice. Each and every time she would grin nearly as much as the happy people, sometimes squealing, sometimes shedding happy tears, sometimes merely grabbing onto his jacket and watching quietly.

Through her eyes it became less of a job and more of a mission, a service that had its own reward in the excitement and joy of the recipients. She showed him how the child would grow up loved, how the puppy would become a faithful companion, how that diploma meant a hundred lives saved - she showed him how to imagine the future as something beautiful and to be looked forward to instead of to be feared.

By the time they were hovered over Hawaii releasing the last of the gifts, Theta couldn't believe how much he had smiled or how much joy was now flowing through his veins. He stared at Rose, hardly able to believe how much love she carried inside of her person.

"That was great," Rose said with a happy sigh as the final wish granted a small boy a bicycle just his size. "I can't imagine how much joy you must have getting to do this every year."

"It isn't always like that," he said quietly, putting in the sequence that would suspend them somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

She followed him to the doorway, looking at him questioningly when he opened the door in mid-air, but taking in a deep breath when she saw the expanse of starry sky above them and crashing waves below. Together they sat down, legs dangling downwards.

Slowly, haltingly, Theta explained about his family and what had caused them to die off. He talked about Elfinkind and how they were struggling because of the lack of goodwill in the world. Through it all she listened quietly with only an occasional hum or a touch to his shoulder. When he finished she said nothing for a long time, simply allowing her feet to swing into space.

"So I've been a help tonight?" she asked at length. At his emphatic nod, she went on, "I could come back with you, to the North Pole - do you call it the North Pole? Anyway, I could meet with the Elfinkind, maybe I could, I don't know, help them somehow. They sound like they could use some tea and biscuits. And afterwards, afterwards we could talk about me maybe visiting more often."

"You would do that?" he asked, surprise making him forget to temper his emotions.

"Of course," she said. "If I can do something to help, if I can make things better, than I want to do that."

"This is why the TARDIS chose you," Theta said reverently. "Because you're pure of heart."

She chuckled, pressing her fingers to his shoulder briefly. "Not as pure of heart as you might think."

He could feel the tips of his ears turn red, visions of his own thoughts in the shower the previous day dancing in his mind.

"Come on," he said gruffly, getting to his feet. "If you want to see the North Pole we've got to get going. They'll be wondering where I've gotten off to."

A few moments later the TARDIS brought them safely to ground with a gentle thump. Before Theta could offer any last minute words of warning about the Elfinkind, the door was flung open and a crowd of them burst inside, shouting his name. They stopped short at the sight of Rose, mouths dropping open as they stared between her and Theta.

It was Wilf who broke the silence. "I see you took my advice then."

"Boys," Theta said with a feeling of impending doom, "This is Rose."

It was complete pandemonium for a long while after that. The elves were so delighted with Rose they could hardly contain themselves. They swarmed around her, wanting to touch her, to talk to her, to show her around. Drinks and food were produced out of nowhere and music was soon rocking the workshop.

Theta quickly found himself a quiet corner where he could watch the festivities. Rose looked just as taken with the elves as they were with her, taking a moment to talk to each of them and to learn their names. She was currently dancing down a line of them.

Wilf's voice in his ear broke through his thoughts. "If they weren't all completely asexual, I think you'd have cause to be worried."

Theta laughed, deep and rich and full.

"She's provided enough goodwill to power the TARDIS for an entire Christmas night and to reinvigorate an entire race and when I told her about it, do you know what she said?" Theta shook his head in wonder. "She offered to visit so she could continue to help. She's got love and it’s overflowing."

"She's a keeper, your Rose," Wilf acknowledged. "Which is why I've got to ask, why are you back here instead of out there with her?"

"Oh, I don't dance." Theta looked warily at Wilf and back at Rose whose dancing had brought her quite near to them.

"I think tonight might be the night that changes that," Wilf told him, giving him a hearty shove which sent him stumbling away from the wall and into a group of elves.

They graciously parted and allowed him to end up directly in front of Rose.

"I don't dance," he blurted out again.

"Tonight everyone can dance," Rose laughed, taking his hand and pulling him towards the center of the floor.

It was pure ecstasy being in her arms, surrounded by her scent and pressed close to her body. He had never felt something as sweet as Rose and he couldn't help but give in, to wrap his arms around her and allow her to lead them in circles. The music was a blur of background noise, the elves lost their distinction, all he knew was Rose. When she laid her head on his chest, he was certain that this was the most perfectly happy he had ever been.

It could have been minutes, hours, or days later when he gradually became aware of his surroundings again. There were fewer elves around, the lights were dimmed, and the music was dying away. Glancing at Rose, he smiled when she let out a massive yawn.

"Tired?" he asked redundantly.

"A little," she nodded against his chest.

"Come on," he gently disentangled himself from her, making sure to keep one of his hand firmly linked with hers.

Together they picked their way around sleeping elves and across the grounds to the mansion. She didn't comment on the house, not on the furnishings or the emptiness, but she did squeal slightly when she saw the size of the bathtubs. He found her a vest and sweatpants of his and left them in his en suite before perching on the edge of the bed.

He didn't want to freak her out by this arrangement, but he also thought that finding her a room of her own in the cavernous mansion might not be the best course of action either. By the time she reemerged, he had managed to nearly give himself a complex and he vanished inside the bathroom practically before she had exited.

It took him the entire shower before he had calmed down enough to enter the bedroom with a neutral expression only to have it disappear at the sight of her curled up under the covers on half the bed. He had never seen anyone else, let alone someone as beautiful and exquisite as Rose, in his bed and his thoughts and emotions went haywire at the image.

"Are you just going to stand there all night?" she muttered sleepily and it was enough to propel him into action.

A few moments later he was lying next to her, doing his very best not to breathe too deeply in case of disturbing her. It was no use because she rolled over almost at once, draping her arm across his chest and resting her head on it.

"Did you mean it? About me visiting?" she asked, gazing at him with eyes that were remarkably wide awake.

"Yes," he said succinctly. "Did you?"

"I did." She nodded her head. "It's very Hades and Persephone. Spending time here part of the time and at home with my mum the other part."

"I'm not kidnapping you," he said, just in case she had the wrong idea.

"No, it's more of a mutual kidnap, I think." She yawned and flopped on her back, leaving one hand on his chest. "I wonder what my mum will think. Or Mickey."

"Is he, is he your boyfriend?" Theta asked as casually as he could manage.

"Mickey? Hardly. More like the little brother I never had." She rolled back and stared at him, worry shining in her eyes. "I wouldn't be like this if he was, I'm not that kind of person."

"No, I know," he said quickly, relief flooding him all the same. "So, half the year here and half in London?"

"Yeah, I think so," Rose yawned again and snuggled up to his side, maneuvering under his arm. "I've got some ideas for a charity that could promote peace and goodwill. Maybe help produce that so we wouldn't have this problem in the future."

"We," he said softly, very much liking the sound of that.

"Yes, we," she confirmed. "Now please relax, I promise I won't take advantage of your virtue. And you're very board-like at the moment."

He chuckled, letting his limbs unwind and tentatively wrapping one hand around Rose's waist.

"Better?" he whispered.

"Mmhmm," she muttered. "I always did like Hades. Thought he got an unfair rap."

Before he could respond, her breathing evened out and he knew she was asleep. With a smile on his face he tugged her a little closer and closed his eyes. He had a feeling his dreams wouldn't attack him that night, not with Rose by his side.


	5. Chapter 5

Theta guided the TARDIS to a gentle landing, his hands fairly shaking with excitement. He was technically a couple of days early to pick up Rose, but under the circumstances he didn't think she'd mind. It had been six months since Christmas and Rose had spent at least a week out of every month at the North Pole. Sometimes she would get involved in her new charity - Bad Wolf Foundation - and they weren't able to get as many days together, other times she would be inspired by a particular wish or prayer and stay up at the North Pole for a few extra days.

Theta missed Rose intensely when she was gone and would occasionally show up during her off weeks to lend a hand at the charity or to sneak into her flat to hold her at night. The TARDIS showed her support of these visits by constantly expanding - she now boasted a full kitchen, bedroom and en suite, and, most recently, a fully furnished Library. It was apparent that the ship loved Rose best, anything that Rose asked for, the ship was quick to provide. On one occasion Rose had questioned the lack of a good selection of tea and the ship had responded by having over 150 different kinds the next time Rose had required a cup.

Their physical relationship had progressed though they were both holding back, keeping their bedroom activities relatively chaste. He had explained to her one night about his lifespan, about the chance that he had the obscure gene that could cause regeneration, and his fear of what that meant. She had listened, resting her head on his chest and watching him intently. Afterwards she hadn't said much, had merely taken his head in her hands and kissed him long and hard. They were both waiting for something, but neither of them could quite articulate just what that might be.

It was the beginning of July now and Theta had arrived at Powell on a mission. The sun was just setting in the west as he exited the TARDIS and headed across the now familiar courtyard. Several of the neighbors knew him now and called a greeting and he lifted a hand to them. He was never quite sure what they thought he was doing at the Tyler's and he rather thought he didn't want to know.

Jackie answered his tentative knock with a grimace and a shout for Rose and a moment later his golden angel was there, throwing her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled the scent of strawberries and vanilla and home.

"Not that I don't love the unexpected surprise," she said drawing back far enough to drop a kiss on the end of his nose, "But what's the occasion?"

"I have news," he told her, pressing his lips to hers.

He intended it to be quick, but it never was and it was only Jackie's indignant huff that broke them apart, though not farther than a hairsbreadth.

"Roof?" Rose asked and he nodded.

The roof had become their place at Powell, a respite from the accusing stares and whispers. Sometimes it seemed that all others saw was an old man who had practically robbed the cradle, Jackie and Mickey included. Jackie had relaxed somewhat, even going so far as to invite him in for some dinner on occasion, but she was quick to make scathing remarks. Mickey regarded Theta with disdain and distrust and generally didn't come around if Theta was there.

As Rose and Theta climbed the last stair and perched on the low wall, he felt he could breathe again, especially once Rose was seated next to to him, her shoulder pressed against his.

"So, news?" She looked at him expectantly.

"Yes. I got word today, it came over the wire direct to the TARDIS - she told me actually. And as soon as Wilf heard he sent me straight here," he broke off when he caught sight of the strange look Rose was giving him. "What?"

"You're rambling."

"No, I'm not."

"You are, you so are!" She laughed, delighted. "Anyway, go on. What was this news? Who was it from?"

"Gallifrey," Theta said and Rose's laughter died away.

She reached over and picked up his hand, sliding hers in his grasp and covering it with her other.

"The, the war - it's over."

"The one stopping you from traveling?" Rose clarified.

"Yes. Lives were lost, on both sides. Apparently an entire clan was wiped out, my closest relatives, but the war is over and travel is open again." He tightened his grip on her hands even as he trained his gaze on the far sky.

"What does that mean for you - for us?" Rose asked softly, nudging him with her shoulder.

"It means," he paused and cleared his throat. "It means whatever you want it to mean."

"Theta," Rose said, low and demanding.

"I mean it Rose." He turned to look at her. "We could ignore it completely. We could take off and go. We could do some of both."

"We?" she questioned.

His heart skipped and he tried to subtly withdraw his hand but she was having none of that.

"Theta?" she repeated, "Talk to me."

He opened his mouth, searching for the words to explain to her what she meant to him, what this new opportunity could mean for them, and how he wanted nothing to do with it if she wasn't there with him. But when he opened his mouth, something entirely different came out.

"I'm old, Rose."

"Okay," she said slowly, processing. "You've explained your lifespan to me. You age slowly and if you are hurt it's possible you could regenerate, I get that."

"I'm old compared to you, but I'm young for a Time Lord. I could live for hundreds of years yet."

"I can tell that you're arguing with me somehow, so if you could clue me into what my side is supposed to be, I'll be happy to fight you on this," Rose said lightly, shaking her head but there was worry in her eyes.

"It's not fair of me to ask you to live my life with me when you could have someone who, who is like you," he explained.

"Oh so it's the lifespans mismatch? I can handle that." Rose rubbed her hands together. "Been practicing actually cause I figured this would come up sooner or later. First of all, I made my choice - I promised you I wasn't going to leave you and I don't make promises I don't intend to keep. And secondly I love you."

He didn't wait around to hear if there was a third reason, instead leaning over and capturing her lips with his own. She opened beneath the onslaught with a gasp, but she was no passive observer. Her hands were instantly in his hair, tugging him closer and meeting his tongue with her own. By the time they parted to allow them both to breathe, she was astride his lap.

"I should tell you I love you more often," she said between pants, "if that's the result."

He kissed her again because he could, but then pulled back and just looked at her - his beautiful, perfect Rose. She was his everything and he needed her.

"There are places we could go if you want," he began, "Places that would expand your lifespan, help you live longer. Baths and such."

She nodded seriously. "I'm not making any decisions right now, but it's definitely something we can talk about and look into later. Now, about this intergalactic travel?"

He shifted so he caught her eye. "I meant it earlier that we can do whatever you want to do about the space travel. We can go anywhere in space and time now. I can take you forwards or backwards. I can take you to other planets - to planets with grass that smells of apples, to planets made of candy, to a frozen planet. I can take you anywhere you want to go. But I'm not going alone."

"But your people," she argued. "I'm sure you want to see your people and from what I understand they wouldn't like me very much."

"I don't care," he said, punctuating his sentence with kisses. "A wise man once told me that some rules are made to be broken."

"Well, like I said, I made my choice and I'm not leaving you." Rose rested her hands on his shoulders. "But we're not gallivanting off and then, I don't know, not coming back here for a year. I want to see my mum and Mickey, yes Mickey, and I want to be able to still run Bad Wolf."

Theta winced at the mention of Mickey but nodded emphatically with the rest. He expected nothing less of her.

"Deal."

"And we're not just abandoning the Elfinkind either," Rose shook her finger at him. "We're spending Christmases on Earth. Oh! Are they sending another family to Earth?"

"Probably," he shrugged. "I can check which one."

"We'll have to help them get settled in and make sure they get along well with the elves - the elves were here first and they will not be bossed around by some high-handed Time Lord family."

"I promise we will make sure that things are running smoothly," he said, grinning at her, his heart expanding rapidly with the love he felt for this beautiful woman.

"Okay," she nodded.

"Okay?" he questioned, a tiny spring of hope alighting in his chest.

"Okay, let's do it. Let's go out and explore all of space and time. I've always wanted to meet Charles Dickens and breathe different air and have a different ground beneath my feet." She grinned at him.

"Now?"

"You promise it will be a quick trip?" She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

"I promise."

She grinned and climbed off his lap, holding out her hand. "Come on then - you've promised me all of space and time. Or are you just talk?"

He laughed, throwing his head back and letting his joy ring out. He could absolutely show here a little slice of time and space and still have her back in time for dinner. When he could breathe he stood up, taking her hand and tugging her towards the stairs.

"Come on Rose Tyler, we've got a lot of running to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
